Currency container



May 16, 1950 R. w. HAAS CURRENCY CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1946 FIG.

Hl l nn n WP MAWWWWE IINVENTOR W. HAAS ATTORNEYS May 16, 1950 I R. w. HAAS 2,508,159

CURRENCY CONTAINER Filed Nov. 18, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5.

J EMF v v /72' J es 7 48' INVENTOR RICHARD W. HAAS ATTORNEYS Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURRENCY CONTAINER Richard W. Haas, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 18, 1946, Serial No. 710,605

This invention relates generally to devices for holding currency, particularly paper money, in places where change is made by a cashier or the like.

Ordinary types of devices for holding currency, such as cash registers and cash drawers, usually are openable by anyone to expose the entire contents, thereby making it easy for a. thief or robher to obtain all the money in the device.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel device for holding paper money in such a manner that only a limited amount of money can be withdrawn at any one time. In this connection it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this nature which, once a bill has been withdrawn, it is impossible to remove another bill until after the lapse of a predetermined amount of time, thereby making it impossible for a robber or thief to obtain more than a small amount of money or even prevent him from obtaining any from the device Where his time is limited.

It is also an object to provide a device which may be used in conjunction with a cash receptacle, such as a cash register, or which may be built into a cash register as a part thereof.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description thereof. Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on line 3-3 of Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a. bill holding tray;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a drawer used in the device; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram showing electrical means for controlling the operation of the device.

More particularly describing the invention, reference numeral I indicates a fully enclosed casing which may be made of metal or any other desirable material. The casing may be provided with suitable means, such as the bolt means II, for securely attaching the same to a non-removable stand or the like so that the same could not be removed by an unauthorized person. This casing has a cover I2 which is hingedly secured to the remainder of the casing at [3 and is provided with a lock 14, the construction of which is unimportant. Externally of the case at one end thereof there is provided a shelf i bounded 7 Claims. (Cl. 31267) 2 by the end wall I6 and the casing walls I! and 18 for holding a supply of bill holding trays later to be described.

Inside the casing three chutes 20 are provided, although any number might be used. These chutes are each defined by four rails or posts 2|, the side and front ones of which terminate short of the top and all terminate short of the bottom of the casing. These are adapted to receive a plurality of money holding trays 25, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 4. The front wall 26 of the casing is provided with a slot 28 for each of the chutes so that the trays may be inserted therethrough and into the chutes.

Each of the trays 25 comprises a plate-like bottom wall 30, marginal side walls 3! and an end wall 32. A top wall 33 having a recess 34 is provided. This top wall is preferably spaced back from the front edge of the tray, as shown, to facilitate the insertion of a paper money bill inside the tray. In use, each tray is designed to accommodate a single bill. The tray is provided with marginal guide notches 35 in which the rails or posts 2| are received when the tray is placed in the chute. The trays may be made of metal. plastic, or any desired material.

Beneath two of the three chutes are positioned drawers and 40 (see Fig. 5) which are received in slots in the front wall of the casing. Each drawer comprises a forward portion 42 which has a recess 43 of a size to accommodate one of the aforementioned trays 25. The drawer also has a rear portion indicated by 44 which in-. cludes a flat upper surface 45 located in the same plane as the upper edges of the side walls 46 of the forward portion of the drawer. At its rear the drawer is provided with an upwardly extend-7 ing projection 48 which serves both as a stop means and as a switch actuating means, as will later be described. The projection 48 prevents the drawer being completely withdrawn from the casing by reason of the fact that it abuts against a cross bar 50 on which the rear rails of the chutes are mounted.

With the construction outlined, when the drawer is pushed in (Fig. 3), the lowermost tray 25 in the chute is received in the recess 43 in the tray. This lowermost tray can then be removed from the casing by withdrawing the drawer. As the drawer is pulled out the flat surface 45 thereof comes directly under the chute and supports the trays remaining therein until such time as the drawer is again pushed in to receive the next lowermost tray.

It is a particular feature of the invention that means be provided for preventing successive withdrawals of the drawers except as such successive withdrawals are spaced apart by at least a predetermined minimum length of time. In other words, it is a particular feature of the invention that means are provided to prevent a drawer being immediately pulled out just after it has been pushed in. Referring now to Figs. 3 and 6, the means for accomplishing this includes generally an electrically releasable means for locking the drawers in their inward position generally indicated by numeral 5|, and means for preventing the operation of the release means successively except after the elapse of a predetermined interval of time.

The latch means or locking means for holding the drawer in the inward position includes a recess 52 on the undersurface of the drawer. Inwardly of the recess there is provided a cam face 53. The recess is adapted to receive a latch pin 54 which slidably mounted in a tubular support 55. This pin, as the drawer is pushed in, is actuated by contact with the cam face 53'. The pin 54 is yieldably held in the recess 52 by means of a compression spring 55 hearing against a lever 51 pivotally mounted at 58 and carrying the pin 54 by means of a pin and slot connection 60. The outer end of the lever 51 is mounted on the outer end of a plunger 62 of a solenoid 63.

In order to release the pin 54 to permit withdrawal of the drawer, it is necessary to close a push button switch 65, thereby completing an electrical circuit through the solenoid 63, the plunger of which actuates lever 51. However, included in the circuit with the solenoid 63 is a timer switch or delayed timer 68. In order to complete the circuit through the solenoid it is necessary that the timer be in the correct position to close the circuit through it.

The timer may be of any suitable standard type, such as for example one which upon being actuated by flow of current therethrough is started. in operation and almost immediately breaks the circuit which it controls and does not again complete the circuit until the elapse of a predetermined amount of time. Ordinarily such timers are adjustable within a given range.

In order to operate the timer, each drawer is made to actuate a switch which is included in a circuit. H through. the actuating mechanism of the timer and a source of E. M. F. The switch for the drawer 40 is indicated by numeral 12. This switch is normally closed but is held open by the drawer when the drawer is in the inward position, such as it is shown in Fig. 3, and in the wiring diagram, Fig. 6. This is accomplished through the medium of the upwardly extending projection 48 on the drawer which raises a plunger member 13 on the switch.

The circuits and control means just described are particularly designed for the drawer 40 which provides access to the chute at the right hand side of the device, which it is contemplated will contain trays of $5.00 bills. It is also contemplated that the central chute will contain trays holding $10.00 bills. In many cases it will be desirable, as for example. in making change for a $20.00 bill, to be able to open looth drawers simultaneously. In order to accomplish this a master push button 15 is provided which actuates both the push button 65 controlling the right hand drawer 4H and the push button 65 controlling the center drawer. 40". Thus, by pushing this switch the circuits are closed through both solenoids 63 and 63' controlling the lock means for the drawers. In the wiring diagram, the numerals bearing the prime mark have been used to designate the elements associated with What will be termed the $10.00 drawer, that is, the drawer 40 at the center of the casing; while the numerals without such prime marks indicate the elements associated with the $5.00 drawer, that is, the drawer 40 at the right hand side of the casing. Circuits similar to those described are provided for the drawer 40', as appears in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the device it is contemplated that normally the timer will be in position whereby it completes the circuit through the solenoids so that either drawer may be opened merely by pushing the appropriate push button, or both drawers may be opened by pushing the master push button Hi. The drawers open automatically, being forced outwardly by means of a spring mechanism generally indicated at at the rear of each drawer. Assuming the $5.00 drawer 40 has been opened, as the drawer opens the switch 12 returns to its normal closed position, thereby completing the circuit through the delayed timer 68, setting the same in motion. This timer almost immediately breaks the circuit through the solenoids 63 and 63 and the circuit remains broken for a predetermined length of time, after which this circuit is closed insofar as the portion of it passing through the delayed timer is concerned. After the elapse of this predetermined length of time, the push button 65 may again be operated to release the drawer.

It will be apparent that the above described construction provides a device for holding, for example, the $5.00 and $10.00 bills in such a manner that even though the device contains a large number of these bills, only two bills can be withdrawn at one time and no further bills can be withdrawn. until the period of time for which the timer is set has elapsed. Consequently, it is impossible for a robber or thief to obtain more than a small amount of money from the device in the limited time that he can remain at the device.

It is contemplated that the device can be used in conjunction with a cash drawer or cash register (or it can be built into a cash register) and as the cashier receives $5.00 and $10.00 bills they can be individually placed in the trays 25 and inserted in the appropriate slot 20 of the casing. In this connection the casing may be provided with one or more chutes such as that shownat the left hand side of the casing to which it is impossible to gain access for removal of the trays except by someone having a key to the device. Such chutes can be used for holding the larger denominations of bills which will not be needed in making change. As needed, the $5.00 and $10.00 bills may be withdrawn as often as the setting of the timing mechanisms permits. The timer of course can be set for any desired interval.

Although the invention is particularly shown and described, it is contemplated that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1.. In a device of the type described, casing, means in said casing for holding individually a plurality of currency bills, means including a drawer mounted in said casing constructed and arranged to deliver said bills externally of the casing successively one by one, and means actuated by movement of said drawer for preventing said drawer from being withdrawn from said casing twice in succession except after a predetermined time interval between withdrawals.

2. In a device of the type described, a casing, means in said casing forming a tray receiving chute, a plurality of trays in said chute, said trays each being adapted to receive a single c1u-- rency bill, a drawer mounted in said casing constructed and arranged to receive said trays successively, and means actuated by movement of said drawer for preventing said drawer from being withdrawn from said casing twice in succession except after a predetermined time interval between withdrawals.

3. In a device of the type described, a casing, means in said casing forming a tray receiving chute, said casing being provided with an aperture adjacent the upper end of said chute adapted to receive trays to be placed in said chute, a plurality of trays in said chute, a drawer mounted in said casing beneath said chute, said drawer having a tray receiving recess therein adapted to accommodate one tray and having a tray retaining portion for holding the remainder of the trays in said chute when said drawer is withdrawn with a tray therein, and means actuated by movement of said drawer for preventing said drawer from being withdrawn from said casing twice in succession except after a predetermined time interval between withdrawals.

4. In a device of the type described having a casing provided with a tray receiving chute for containing a plurality of paper money holding trays, a drawer dispensing the trays one by one, latch means for preventing withdrawal of said drawer, and timing means actuated by said drawer upon movement thereof preventing release of said latch means successively within shorter periods of time than a predetermined time interval.

5. In a device of the type described having a casing provided with a tray receiving chute for containing a plurality of paper money holding trays, a drawer dispensing the trays one by one, a latch normally engageable with said drawer for preventing withdrawal of said drawer, electrical means for releasing said latch, and a timing means actuated by said drawer upon movement thereof preventing operation of said electrical means successively within a shorter period of time than a predetermined time interval.

6. In a device of the type described, a drawer; a latch normally engageable with said drawer for preventing withdrawal thereof; means for releasing said latch including an electrical circuit containing a solenoid operatively associated with said latch, said circuit containing a manually operable switch and a delayed action timing switch; and means for controlling said electrical circuit comprising a second electrical circuit for energizing said timing switch including a switch operable by said drawer upon movement thereof.

7. In a device of the type described, a plurality o1 drawers; a plurality of latches normally engageable with said drawers respectively for preventing withdrawal thereof; means for releasing said latches individually including an electrical circuit for each drawer containing a solenoid operatively associated with the drawer latch, said circuits each including a manually operable switch and a delayed action timing switch; and means for controlling said electrical circuits comprising a second electrical circuit for energizing said delayed action timing switch including a plurality of switches operable respectively by said drawers.

RICHARD W. I-IAAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 324,717 Myers Aug. 18, 1885 2,100,061 Gundelin et a1 Nov. 23, 1937 2,145,314 Murtaugh Jan. 31, 1939 2,323,681 Sangster et al July 6, 1943 

